Love Divine

Good morning, church.

As we look forward to a new year,

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This morning, we're going to be looking at the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus.

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For the surpassing love of God in Christ.

There's also a challenge as Jesus disputes with his adversaries.

So let's go to the Lord for his help as we open up his word.

Let's pray together.

Father, as we open up your word,

give us eyes to see and ears to hear.

Open our eyes.

Open our eyes to see wondrous things in your word.

You show us your power.

For the sake of your kingdom and your great and mighty name.

Would we decrease and would Christ increase, we pray.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

As we enter into a new year,

I don't think I need to convince you that we live in a world

where it's become increasingly more difficult to become lost.

Thanks to that device in your pocket

and the exponential explosion of technology.

At our fingertips are vast amounts of information.

GPS,

generative AI like chat GPT.

It's been said that we all have a team of PhD-level experts right in your pocket.

It's become very difficult to become lost.

In the internet age, why then do we feel lost?

And some have turned to AI to cope with this feeling of loneliness

to find in a chatbot a listening ear.

For example, if you listen to Sam Altman, the CEO of chat GPT,

he will say that in just a few short years,

the most compassionate conversation that you can have will be with the chatbot.

But if you zoom out in this moment we're living in,

isn't there a promise being held out about the future?

A promise that you and I and all humanity will evolve into something greater

because of this brilliant technology.

A promise of security.

A promise of safety.

Amidst life's confusions.

When you have a problem,

you have something to shepherd you

through the ups and downs and the dark places in your life.

Humans will no longer be lost

if we have a benevolent, compassionate AI to guide you.

Well, of course, if you're like me,

you're probably skeptical of these claims.

AI is no true shepherd.

And as it turns out,

these technologies cannot be 100% reliable.

Why?

Because they rely on information that is quickly changing.

About you.

About the world.

It turns out that the output is only as good as the input.

If the input is all human knowledge,

then you get both truth and error.

You may find you're getting life advice

on ultimate questions from some random guy on Reddit.

AI is no true shepherd.

But what guide can you follow?

What or who can shepherd us in this new year infallibly?

When you're anxious,

where can you turn for refuge?

That is the subject of our chapter this morning.

And this passes as a chapter that provides comfort,

provides solace,

provides encouragement.

Because there is one who sees and knows all,

who can shepherd you with perfect skill and precision.

Let's read John chapter 10, verses 22 to 30 together.

John 10:22–30

And I encourage you to keep your Bible open

so you can follow along carefully

to see what God is saying to us.

And that can be found on page 843 of the Pew Bible.

Let's read God's Word.

At that time,

the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem.

It was winter,

and Jesus was walking in the temple

in the colonnade of Solomon.

So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,

How long will you keep us in suspense?

If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.

Jesus answered them,

I told you,

and you do not believe.

The works that I do in my Father's name

bear witness about me.

But you do not believe

because you are not among my sheep.

My sheep hear my voice,

and I know them,

and they follow me.

I give them eternal life,

and they will never perish,

and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

My Father who has given them to me

is greater than all,

and no one is able to snatch them

out of the Father's hand.

I and the Father are one.

What must the good shepherd do?

To what end is he unwaveringly committed?

The good shepherd is unwaveringly committed

to caring and protecting the sheep.

That is the main idea.

The good shepherd is unwaveringly committed

to caring and protecting his sheep.

Let's look at context to situate us

in this chapter.

In John 9,

you'll find Jesus

heals a man born blind.

The disciples asked Jesus,

who sinned,

this man

or his parents?

Neither, Jesus says.

Not because of his sin

or his parents' sin,

but that the works of God

might be displayed in him.

This man was a recipient

of free grace.

He did nothing to earn

gaining his sight.

He simply received it.

The religious leaders, though,

they don't like it.

They interrogate the man.

The man says,

look, I don't know much,

but one thing I do know

that though I was blind,

now I see.

And in this upside-down,

inside-out world,

the story ends in verse 38

in chapter 9.

The man born blind,

he sees.

And the leaders,

the Pharisees,

who think they see,

are blind.

Jesus pronounces judgment

over these leaders.

And in chapter 10,

Jesus begins to draw

a sharp contrast.

Jesus says,

I am the good shepherd.

He says,

these men

are no true shepherds.

At best,

they're hired hands

who run away

when the wolf comes.

At worst,

they are thieves and robbers.

Again,

the leaders don't like this.

So as we come to our passage

this morning,

it's important to see

that the hostility

is growing

with each chapter

between Jesus

and those who would

seek to kill him.

Now some structure.

We're going to look at these

verses in three parts.

A hostile interrogation.

Point number two

will be a profound response.

And then point number three

will be a divine love.

A hostile interrogation,

a profound response,

and then a divine love.

And verse 22

sets the stage.

You'll see Jesus

had been in Jerusalem

for some time now.

It's winter.

It's December

and it's cold outside.

And it says he's walking

near the colony,

the colony,

probably with his disciples.

And the colony of Solomon

was this public space

and it acted as a public forum

for teaching.

We find Jesus walking

during the Feast

of Dedication.

What you and I

would know as Hanukkah.

Hanukkah recalled

about 200 years earlier

a Jewish revolt

against the Greeks

after the Greeks

desecrated

and defiled the temple.

Antiochus,

a Greek king,

unleashed a reign

of terror.

He placed an altar

of Zeus

in the Holy of Holies

and began executing

and crucifying Jews,

many forced

into slavery.

In this pressure cooker,

the Jewish people

revolted

and gained their freedom

from foreign domination.

And so

Hanukkah celebrates

Israel's liberation,

restoring the temple,

and rededicating

the altar.

So as Jesus is walking,

there's a kind of

national pride

in the air.

Then we get to

verse 24.

These religious leaders,

the Jews,

suddenly surround him.

That's what the word

gathered around

in verse 24 means.

They are surrounding him

and closing in on him,

preventing his escape.

Then they make a demand.

How long will you

keep us in suspense?

If you are the Christ,

tell us plainly.

They are demanding

that Jesus reveal

his identity.

Now, if you're here

and you're asking questions

about who Jesus is,

you should do that.

That is one of the most

important questions

you can ask in this life.

Who is this Jesus?

And you know,

it's a normal experience

to doubt

when you're wrestling

with competing truth claims.

The book of Jude says,

have mercy on those

who doubt.

Jesus showed mercy

to Jude who himself

doubted his own

brother's claims.

However,

there could be

a different kind

of doubt

where the person

does not have

sincere intentions.

Have you ever had

a conversation like that?

Whatever you say

won't be enough.

They're just looking

for more reasons

than to not believe.

That's what's happening

here.

So the question asked

in verse 24

is not sincere

nor is it humble.

This is a hostile

legal interrogation.

You see,

they were looking

for a clear confession

in order to use

as evidence

to obtain a legal conviction.

And once they had

their evidence,

they could bring it

to the Roman governor

so they could hang Jesus

on charges of treason

and sedition.

And you can see

their hostile purpose

in verse 31.

They brought stones

with them.

Evidently,

Jesus' response

wasn't what they

were looking for.

And they were prepared

to let those stones fly

to kill him.

In this interrogation,

the question,

it's loaded.

It's leading.

It's like the old

adversarial question

in an interrogation

against the unsuspecting

where someone says,

tell me,

have you stopped

lying to your wife?

Yes, I've stopped lying.

No, I haven't.

There's really no good way

to answer that question

without appearing evasive.

And this question

is leading and loaded.

Now, why isn't this

just a straightforward answer?

Why can't Jesus say,

yes, I'm the Christ?

Well, what makes

this question complicated

to answer

is the confusion

of the kind of Messiah

that Jesus would come to be.

You see,

there were competing definitions

of what it meant

to be the Christ.

to say he was the Christ

would have publicly

been understood

to be a political

and military leader

who would act

as a liberator

from Israel's oppressor,

the Romans,

kick them out

once for all,

just like we did

the Greeks.

So Jesus knows

that a simple yes answer

would have been misunderstood

and it would have been used

as evidence against him.

He is prepared to die,

but not yet.

His hour had not yet come

as we come to John 10.

So they surround him

and they put him

in a dilemma.

And Jesus will be very careful

in how he responds

to this question.

Before we look

at his profound response,

let's notice

the absurdity

of the question itself.

How long

will you keep us

in suspense?

Do you see the irony

in that question?

Jesus' track record

up to this point

about his identity,

let's just say

it's been solid.

But who are they

pointing the finger at

for their unbelief?

How long

will you keep us

in suspense?

Well, it's his fault.

He's the cause.

Jesus, stop with the suspense.

Stop with your games.

What you've said

is not enough.

Friend, they can stare

at the Messiah

in the face

and accuse him

of duplicity.

Do you see

their spiritual blindness?

It was about 20 years ago

when a man dressed up

in a baseball cap

in jeans

walked onto the D.C.

metro during rush hour

to play the violin.

And people thought

this man was

a no-name fiddler

and so they ignored him

and some belittled him.

He was another nuisance

interrupting their commute.

But as it turns out,

this man was

a world-renowned violinist,

Joshua Bell.

And that morning,

Bell played six

of the most intricate

pieces of musical compositions

that the world

has ever known.

And he played

on a violin

worth more than

3.5 million dollars.

It was an experiment

by the Washington Post

and it proved its point.

The average person

is blind to true greatness

when it's right there

in their midst.

friend,

do you recognize

the greatness of Jesus?

Seeing him

as supremely valuable.

You might be here

and you say to yourself,

I have a big degree.

I'm going places.

But if you don't know,

if you don't recognize

who Jesus is,

Jesus will say,

you too are blind.

And spiritual blindness

is not like physical blindness.

It's more dangerous.

See, physically,

you know you're blind.

Spiritually,

we are blind

to our own blindness.

Friends,

do you know

your own heart?

I know mine,

it is frightening.

In fact,

our blindness

can even masquerade

as wisdom,

as humility.

Friend,

ask God

to open your eyes

to see the light

of the glory of Christ,

who is the image

of the invisible God.

And sometimes

the point

in which you may be lacking

is not understanding

your need of Jesus.

And Jesus

has a profound response

to this interrogation.

Point number two.

Look at verse 25.

Jesus answered them,

I told you

and you do not believe.

The works that I do

in my Father's name

bear witness about me.

Now,

Jesus will not give them

what they want.

This is a very calculating

and careful

choice of words.

He's been saying,

look,

I've been answering

this question for months.

where have you been?

But now,

up until this point,

to be fair,

Jesus has not

come out publicly

and said that

he is the Christ

in those words.

He has said it privately.

Remember the woman

of Samaria

in chapter four?

Remember she said,

we know that the Christ

is coming.

When he comes,

he will tell us

all things.

Jesus said to her,

I who speak to you

am he.

But that wasn't

a public declaration.

But Jesus is telling

these leaders,

I have said enough to you.

Jesus is saying,

look,

I told you,

I told you I am the one

who came from heaven.

I told you that

whoever believes in me

has eternal life.

I told you that

you should honor me

just as you honor

the Father.

I told you the Father

has entrusted

all judgment

to me,

the Son.

And I will be the one

to judge humanity

on that final day.

And I told you

that I am Yahweh,

the great I am.

I have claimed deity.

Jesus has said

more than enough

in his teaching.

But the evidence

Jesus points to

mostly are his miracles.

The works that I do

in my Father's name

bear witness about me.

These miracles

speak for me,

he says.

Now his miracles

are not just fireworks

designed to grab

the attention

of the crowds.

No,

these miracles

were pictures,

they were signs.

And he's drawing

from the Old Testament

to prove

his identity.

He's healed

the blind,

the sick,

the lame.

He healed

the paralytic man

who had been lame

for 38 years.

Get up and walk.

And he took up

his matting walk.

He fed the 5,000

with a few loaves

of bread.

He said,

I am the bread

of life

that's come from heaven.

He turned water

into wine.

All these miracles

revealed his identity.

So the problem

isn't that Jesus

has not been clear.

The problem is

they failed to believe

in his clear evidence.

Their eyes were tight,

shut,

and they refused

to open them.

Well, friends,

how much more now?

God hasn't just done

a dozen or so miracles.

God has done

a billion things.

Isn't every Christian

with a transformed life,

a walking miracle?

Church family,

what about our life

corporately?

Do the works

that we do

in the Father's name

bear witness

to the world

about Jesus?

In this new year,

what should our strategy

be to witness

to the world

of his power?

Marketing campaigns?

Social media outreach?

Outstanding music?

Great potlucks?

And we do have

some great potlucks,

so thank you.

Thank you,

hospitality team.

No, none of these things.

Isn't it our unity

and our love

for each other?

Doesn't that bear witness

to the world?

Jesus prayed as much

in his high priestly prayer

before he went

to be crucified.

Praying to his Father,

he asked,

that they all may be one,

just as you, Father,

are in me

and I am in you,

that they also may be in us,

in order that,

for this very reason,

the world may believe

that you sent me.

Whoa, that's real power

right there.

God the Holy Spirit

is so powerful

that he can bind us together

in the gospel.

That's powerful.

Oh, brothers and sisters,

we have so much more

in common than that

which divides us.

And beloved,

aren't you bearing fruit

in this area?

This love and unity

amongst you

is a witness

to God's power

at work in you.

Isn't that evidence

of God's grace

in our life as a church?

We're not united

by shared sports teams,

ethnicity,

education levels,

income brackets.

There is one thing, though.

We want to build our life

on Jesus and his word.

We can say with Paul

to the church

at Thessalonica

that your faith, beloved,

is being reported

throughout the whole world.

That is no exaggeration

in a church like this.

Now, many of you

knew the butlers.

Many of you walked with them

after their daughter

Evangeline's death.

And God recently called

Landon to be a pastor

in Stanford.

And they recently wrote

a note to you

thanking you, church,

for your love for them.

I'm going to read

a part of it.

They write,

Thank you, church family.

Thank you, Trinity,

for being our shelter,

home,

and family

for almost three years.

While God has brought us

to a new community

in Stanford,

we will forever hold you

in our hearts

as one of the most generous

compassionate

and upstanding churches

we have ever known.

If God's commandment

to the church

is to love one another,

church,

you have nothing

to bless you about.

The end with,

we love you very much.

Oh, friends,

continue to abound

in this area.

Abound more in love

for one another.

Let's give the world

something to see

that bears witness

to our Father in heaven.

And students and workers,

go into the office

this week,

into your classrooms,

and display

who you belong to.

Do honest work.

Don't ask ChatGPT

to write your essays.

Do honest work

and work hard.

Don't fudge the numbers

in the lab

because of your insecurity.

Let your work

give glory

to your Father

in heaven.

But despite these works,

there will be those

who still reject

our Lord Jesus.

Why?

Well, here is probably

the most profound part

of his answer.

Right in the face

of his accusers,

he says this to them.

You do not believe

because you are not

among my sheep.

Wow.

We might ask,

what's cause and effect here?

Jesus is saying,

before ever believing,

you must be among my sheep.

Being comes before believing.

They ask Jesus

to speak plainly,

and so here it is.

This is what they were

looking for.

Not only are they

not true shepherds,

Jesus is saying,

you're not even

among my sheep.

Friend,

this is a humbling truth

because whose hands

does Jesus put

the scepter of your fate?

Who is the captain

of your soul?

Who is the master

of your destiny?

Jesus did not hesitate,

nor do we to say

the scepter

is in God's hands alone.

And hasn't Jesus

already testified

of his gracious choice

to his disciples?

He says,

you didn't choose me,

but I chose you.

Not that we love God,

but that he loved us.

He's appointed some

to eternal life.

Now this raises

some questions.

My shockingly brief answer?

Well, go listen

to the seven-week

Sunday school

that John Hinkson

just taught

on the doctrines of grace.

If you still have

questions about it,

come email the elders.

We're happy to talk

to you more about it.

Point number two

is a profound reply.

Point number three

is a divine love.

These next verses

hold infinite sources

of encouragement.

The shepherd

is unwaveringly committed

to caring

and preserving his sheep.

Isn't verse 27

maybe the best definition

of what a Christian is?

Unlike these rulers,

Jesus says,

my sheep hear my voice.

I know them.

They follow me.

Isn't that the story

of every Christian?

We hear Jesus' words.

We recognize him.

We follow him.

If you are in Christ,

this is your story.

You heard his voice.

You heard that you were

in a calamitous condition

from the day you were born.

You heard that

your biggest problem

is that God is good

and holy.

That's a problem.

Because God created

us in his image

to love him

above all else

and to love each other.

And God is good

unimaginably so.

His ways

unflinchingly righteous.

Because of that,

God must punish sin.

We are naturally rebels

against God.

Dead,

inclined only

toward evil.

Unable to lift a finger

to save ourselves.

Our problem,

ultimately,

is not merely

that we are bent

against God,

but we have a blindness.

Blind to God's beauty,

we stood under

God's condemnation.

Our beloved,

but then you heard

that God Almighty

loved you

with an everlasting love.

And the great lengths

he went

to demonstrate

this love

to you.

Because in God's

amazing love,

the Father

would send his Son,

fully God

and fully man,

and the good shepherd

to rescue

his lost sheep.

And the shepherd

would die

so that his sheep

could live.

Jesus bore

the wrath

that we deserved.

Hell was put

into his cup,

and he drank

the cup down

to its dregs,

so that our cup

would overflow

with grace

and love

and mercy.

And this good shepherd

lays down his life

for his sheep.

On the third day,

he rose again,

and he commands

everyone,

everywhere

to turn from sin

and trust in him

alone.

Friend,

if you're here

and you're not a Christian,

do you hear the shepherd's

voice calling you?

If you knew

the heart of the shepherd,

you would come to him.

Brothers and sisters,

you heard this message,

and you listened.

His sheep

listen to his voice.

The shepherd speaks,

the sheep listen.

This is a speaking God.

And he calls you

by name.

In the first century,

that's what would happen.

The sheep would hear

the shepherds

calling them

by name,

and the sheep

would run

to the shepherd.

The Savior calls us,

and we come.

All Christians

have this moment.

We hear the sweet voice

of the shepherd

calling our name,

willing us

to come to him,

laying our burdens

down upon him.

He says,

come to me,

all who are weary,

and I will give you rest.

We come to him,

and we lay our burdens down,

and we find rest

for our souls.

Jesus says,

I am the water,

the living water.

Come and drink

of this well.

And we come and drink,

and we are satisfied.

Oh, you heard

the shepherd's voice,

and you listened.

But notice the description

here given to the people

whom he loves,

these sheep.

First,

he claims us

as his unique possession.

These are my sheep,

he says.

He claims them

as his own.

Jesus plucked

his enemies

out of a burning building

headed for destruction.

She is mine.

He is mine.

They are mine.

They are my sheep.

You know,

the t-shirt that says,

Jesus loves you.

But then again,

Jesus loves everybody.

That might be

how we think about

God's love for us,

right?

As Christians,

God loves me,

but then again,

that's kind of his job.

God loves the world,

I'm part of the world,

so I guess God loves me too.

Doesn't he love everyone?

Nothing special

about that.

No, friend.

These sheep

claim a special place

in the Savior's heart.

This is about a husband

who seeks

his beloved bride,

who's wandered

far away

into the far country.

He finds her

deep in sin,

a prisoner

of this world.

It is not only

that he has secured

the opportunity

for her release,

opening the cell door,

no,

but because of God's

amazing love for her,

he reaches

his almighty hand

into the prison cell

and by grace

grabs her out

into his everlasting arms.

That love

actually exists

for you,

Christian.

Christian,

God loved you

with an everlasting love.

This love

stretches back

in eternity past.

it had no beginning,

it will have no end.

Paul can write,

before the stars

were created,

before the planets

orbited the sun,

in the mind of God,

he delighted

and loved you.

Ephesians 1,

in love he predestined

us for adoption

as sons.

In eternity past,

his heart was

wedded to his bride.

And God

distinguished her,

set her apart.

In the fullness

of time,

God came

and gave himself up

for this beloved bride.

What does he give

to this bride

of his?

Jesus says,

I give them

eternal life

in verse 28.

I came to give them

life

and life to the full.

And that life

is eternal life.

life.

It's the life

of heaven.

It's the life

of God himself.

In verse 28,

his emphasis

is not on the quality,

but it's security.

You know,

at this point,

it's as if Jesus

invites all

who can say,

the Lord is

my shepherd.

He invites us

to step onto

a balcony

and to look

into the distance.

and you begin

to see these

vastly lush

green hills,

the rustling grass,

the sunshine

of God's grace

shining on your face.

You can almost

hear the trickling

waters.

The shepherd says,

you,

my beloved,

you can rest here

and you can rest

securely.

I am your shepherd

and I will

protect you.

You will dwell

in the house

of the Lord

forever.

These are fresh

and clear rivers

for weary sheep

to drink

and be satisfied.

He not only

claims us,

he also intimately

cares for us.

Brother and sister,

how do you think

God feels about you?

Do you doubt

Christ's love

for you?

Does he merely

tolerate you

as he holds

his nose?

No, no.

Christ's

marvelously says,

I know them.

I know my sheep.

That is

covenantal

language,

rich with intimacy.

Christ knows us

with a special

affection

and interest.

Christian,

you are the

apple of his eye

by sheer

unmerited grace.

The way a husband

knows his bride.

God is faithful

to his people

because he delights

in them.

About a month ago,

I was at a

trampoline park

with my kids.

And for those of you

who haven't been

to a place like that,

it's a cacophony

of noises.

It's loud.

There's hundreds

of kids.

It's crowded.

It's chaotic.

The kids are yelling

and screaming.

They're running

into each other,

jumping up and down.

The music is blasting.

And when I was there,

I faintly heard

a child cry.

And I merely knew,

that's my child.

I know my child.

I know them

in a personal way.

They are not lost

in the crowd.

Parents,

this is the difference

between the love

you have for all

the kids in the nursery.

You love them.

You do good to them.

But there's a difference,

isn't there,

between that

and your love

for your own kids.

You hear the cacophony

of crying,

and then you recognize

their cry in the crowd.

God.

You know,

we can think of God,

maybe the way

we would as a president

claim,

they love the citizens

of their country.

You know,

God bless all you citizens.

I love all of you.

A sort of general love,

a goodwill

for all.

No,

but the kingdom of heaven

is not like that.

It's not like that.

The kingdom of heaven

is like a mother

who personally knows

each of her children.

She knows them by name.

And if a mother

has a sick and self-willed child,

is she going to just

cast a child into the street?

Of course not.

Not if that's her beloved child.

Can the stream

of a mother's love

for her children

be fuller,

more wider,

more deep

than the fountain of mercy

in God's heart

for his people?

It can never be.

God's checking account

of mercy

is never overdrawn

for his children.

All Christian,

God knows you.

He loves you

in a special way.

His love for you

is higher,

deeper,

wider,

more infinite,

more incomprehensible.

So,

brother and sister,

you may be unknown,

overlooked at work,

passed up for the promotion,

but know that Christ

does not overlook you.

You are not lost

in the crowd.

Do you come here alone,

betrayed,

abandoned,

permanently stained

by guilt?

God has a special compassion

and concern

for his sheep.

And there is no anxiety

that the shepherd

cannot soothe.

Do not be anxious

for tomorrow

or this next year

for you are worth

more than,

you are worth

more than many spare-offs.

And God has loved you

with an everlasting love.

You know,

leaders in the church,

is this not how

we ought to be shepherds?

To go out

and know the sheep

and to care for them?

Husbands,

let me ask,

are you modeling

this kind of care

for your wife?

Do you ask her

how she's doing spiritually?

If you're single,

are you modeling

this care

for other members

of the church?

If you're preparing

for marriage,

this is what it looks like

to be a faithful husband

or wife,

to care,

to know your bride,

your husband.

Wives,

what are ways

you can model

this kind of care

for your husband?

You know,

if your spouse

is failing in this area,

which they surely will,

look to the Good Shepherd.

He models this care

perfectly.

See,

he claims us,

he cares for us,

but marvelously,

he keeps us.

Look at the promise

in verse 28.

I give them

eternal life

and they will never perish

and no one

will snatch them

out of my hands.

Notice the certainty,

the totality.

Jesus will lose

none,

no one.

They will never perish.

Is Jesus one

to make a promise

and not deliver on it?

No.

Christ will give

an account

for each one

of the sheep

that the Father

had given him.

Not one will be lost.

Jesus will not look

at the countless

multitudes of sheep

and say,

well,

I'm glad 99.9%

of them got home.

No.

He must have

all of them.

And not one atom

of this security

belongs to us.

It is not found

in our performance.

It is not found

in our personal fortitude.

It is not found

in our own righteousness.

You know,

sheep are not known

for their high IQ.

No,

this promise

is about the supreme

love

and sovereignty

of the shepherd.

By the power of God,

he will make sure

his children

are preserved.

You will reach

the finish line.

He will cause you

to persevere

through deep valleys

and hard trials

for his glory.

Oh,

you will finish

the race

and you will

make it home.

And there are

many dangers,

toils,

and snares

as the hymn writer

says.

It is true

that we stumble

and we are prone

to falter.

Our faith

is often fickle.

Our knowledge

is so often

limited.

But the shepherd

takes complete

responsibility

for his sheep.

Step by step,

he leads us

from grace

to glory.

Hasn't this been

your experience

this past year?

with a power

that is never

exhausted,

a patience

that never

worries.

He continually

has shepherded

you.

When you were

weak,

you felt

you could go

no further.

He strengthened

your steps.

When you erred,

he corrected

you.

He brought

another person

in your life

to correct you.

When you were

grieving,

he has dried

your tears

and comforted

you.

And one day

he will wipe

away every tear.

Oh,

how near

he must

draw to you

to wipe

away your tears.

But even now

he stays

that close

by your side.

Can you see

his shepherding

hand

even this past

year?

How he has

showed his

unfailing

skill

and how he

has shepherded

you.

Through the ups

and downs,

twists and turns,

how God

has protected

you.

He's protected

us even

from ourselves.

He has

slammed doors

in your face.

He's closed

them because

he knows

they would

not be

good for

you.

When something

is supremely

valuable,

you place it

in good hands,

don't you?

Parents,

you know,

sometimes you

have kids

and you leave

them by themselves

for more than

five minutes

and they're

going to lose

an arm or

a leg.

So you're

not going

to let

anyone watch

them.

No,

you place

them in

good hands.

If you

own a

Mona Lisa,

you're not

going to let

just anybody

look at it.

There are

thieves and

robbers out

there.

No,

the Mona Lisa

is guarded

24-7,

maximum

security,

bulletproof

glass.

Look at

verse 29.

The Father

has placed

his sheep

in Jesus'

hands.

Ah,

friends,

you are

in good

hands.

And that's

the belt.

He adds

suspenders,

then a

clasp connecting

the two so

nothing falls

to the ground.

Jesus just

piles it on.

It's not just

the will of

the Son.

This is the

will of the

Father in

verse 29.

My Father

who has given

them to me

is greater

than all,

and no one

is able to

snatch them

out of the

Father's

hands.

This is the

ultimate

assurance of

your security

Christian.

It's as if

the Father

clasped his

almighty hands

underneath you,

underneath Jesus'

strong hands,

both hands

holding you

up.

How safe

you are in

the arms of

the Father

and the Son.

I might add,

and the Spirit.

Oh,

friend,

do you doubt

that the

eternal God

has pledged

his faithfulness

to you?

He has given

you this

testimony of

his love for

you,

and should

we distrust

him in

this new

year?

Jesus

concludes,

I and the

Father are

one.

One in

power.

One in

will.

One in

mission.

One in

affection.

The

Father,

Son,

and the

Spirit

unwaveringly

united in

their task

of saving,

caring,

preserving the

sheep.

God

for

the

enemy of

our

souls

may be

strong

and

mighty,

and there

are

many,

but the

Savior is

stronger,

mightier,

more

powerful.

What's

security?

Infinite

Encouragement

in this

passage.

But let's

zoom out for

a second.

Why does

Jesus go

here after

being asked

to reveal

his identity

as the

Christ?

Well,

he is

answering their

question,

isn't he?

Because the

question that

Jesus wants

you to ask

is this.

Who can

say these

things?

Who can

say I

and the

Father are

one?

He is

no

Joe Schmo.

Jesus

is God,

the eternal

self-existent

one.

He simply

is.

He is the

king of the

ages,

immortal,

invisible,

the only

God who

honor and

glory forever

belong to.

Jesus takes

them to the

very height

of who

he is.

This is the

glorious doctrine

of the

Trinity,

one God,

co-equal,

co-eternal

persons.

He could

not have

been more

clear.

This one

is the

great shepherd

of the

sheep,

the one

who stands

before them

is God

himself.

He could

not have

been more

clear,

but they

picked up

stones

to kill

him.

To conclude,

the best

scene

in Narnia

is probably

the third

book,

The Horse

and His

Boy.

C.S.

Lewis tells

a story

of Shasta

Shasta.

And Shasta

is walking

in darkness.

He is in

despair.

A series

of terrible

misfortunes

befell him.

He was

abused growing

up,

chased by

lions.

Everything

has gone

wrong in

his life.

He's been

there.

As Shasta

is walking

in the field,

the tears

are rolling

down his

cheeks.

But then

Shasta

suddenly

senses that

someone or

something was

walking beside

him in the

darkness.

He asked,

Who are you?

He heard a

loud, large,

and deep

voice, one

who has

waited long

for you to

speak.

Are you a

giant?

He asked.

The voice

replied,

You might call

me a giant,

but I am not

like the creatures

you call

giants.

And this

voice chronicled

every bit of

suffering in

his life.

And Shasta

begins to

feel sorry

for himself.

Don't you

think it was

bad luck for

me to meet

all these

lions?

The voice

said,

I do not

call you

unfortunate.

And then he

revealed himself

as Aslan,

the lion.

He says,

There was

only one

lion.

I was a

lion.

I did all

these things.

I wounded

you to

shape you

and mold

you.

his entire

life,

Aslan had

been right

there beside

him.

Through the

good and

the bad,

the lion had

been there

behind the

scenes,

shaping him,

protecting him,

since he was

a baby,

guarding him,

guiding him,

shepherding him.

The lion of

Judas says the

same to you.

Behold,

he is the

one who

keeps you.

He will

neither sleep

nor slumber.

Let's pray.

Father in

heaven,

we thank

you for

this rich

cup of

free grace.

This cup

overflows.

Surely

goodness and

mercy will

follow us

all the

days of

our life

because of

the good

shepherd's

love for

us.

Father,

we are

more than

conquerors

through you

who have

loved us.

Nothing in

all creation

will separate

us from

this love.